Writer’s Block: Student Feature

Writer’s Block’s second student feature focuses on Seattle University senior Joe Arguinchona. He’s majoring in Biochemistry and is interested in working in healthcare.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF:My name is Joe, and I’m a senior studying biochemistry. I’m interested in going the healthcare direction with it. My hobbies are music (playing and listening), working out, most outdoor activities/sports, and writing. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family – cousins, aunts, uncles, sister, or parents; they’re all really cool. My pet peeve is insincerity.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT MUSIC THAT DRAWS YOU IN?Music allows us to explain and understand. I think we feel things we can’t quite convey and explicate. Music is an avenue by which we can communicate those ideas and feelings. I think music also connects us to people. It allows us to gain a better understanding of others, as well as ourselves. Honestly, good music just sounds awesome, too.

WHY DO YOU WRITE?I write because it allows me to reflect on things going on in life – what’s good, what’s bad, etc. Ultimately, I think writing helps me digest my thoughts and better understand myself. I think this is important to do on a deep level as it allows you to actively live out a better life. Writing has allowed me to get to know who I am better, and ultimately be a much more joyful person.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS, AND WHAT’S GOING ON IN MUSIC THAT’S REALLY PIQUING YOUR INTEREST AT THE MOMENT?-Probably Nickel Creek. They’re good, both musically and lyrically. When you listen to a Nickel Creek album, you get a mix of liveliness and fun, as well as somberness and reflectiveness. Check out their first album, Little Cowpoke; its cool.

-I also really like Hozier right now. His songs have great lyrics and his voice seems really genuine to me. Check out his song “Like Real People Do.”

–Ben and Micah Vogel: you haven’t heard of them yet, but you will soon. They’re two of the best musicians I have ever heard perform live.

-I’m really interested in a lot of progressive bluegrass. Check out the Punch Brothers. I’m also really feeling a lot of old, classic soul musicians like Al Green, James Carr, etc.

WHAT’S YOUR END GOAL? ANYWHERE WE CAN HEAR SOME OF YOUR MUSIC?My end goal with music is to create songs that people can really connect with. In terms of life goals, I like to work hard at things. Ultimately, though, life’s all about type and quality of relationships; I want to do well at that.

I don’t have any recorded music. However, a few of my cousins and I are going to make some low fire recordings of a few of my originals this winter break, so hopefully I’ll put them up somewhere on the internet. The first song we will probably put out is a rap tune called “Disregard Females, Acquire Currency”.

…just kidding.

“CASCADE”

Hello Beauty Brown Eyes

Thinking of you

Our lives were only passing by

But you got me through

Still standing in the shadows

But hope is in sight

Cause even with a shadow, behind it’s the light

I barely ‘ve known you

But I’m seeing something in those brown eyes

It’s a soul, been high and low

Standing out in life’s daily disguise

It’s a look that’s ever glowing

Showing depth beyond all of life’s guise

Bye bye Beauty Brown Eyes

You’re gone like the day

Your sun’s gone down

And traveled miles away

Still glad to have met you,

Cause now I am sure

That in a beauty brown eyes I’ll find so much more

I barely ‘ve known you

But I’m seeing something in those brown eyes

It’s a soul, been high and low

Standing out in life’s daily disguise

It’s a look that’s ever glowing

Showing depth beyond all of life’s guise

LYRICAL INSPIRATIONThis is the second song I ever wrote; I slightly edited it about a month ago. I wrote it in my dorm room. I play it in the key of Bm and do a simple finger style version of it. Basically, when writing it, I just found some chords I liked in the key, substituted and slightly modified a few chords to make it more interesting, and then wrote the lyrics over it. I don’t really like talking about the inspirations for me behind songs as far as lyrical content. I find deep meaning in this song when I play it. I hope other people can find their own meaning in it that relates to experiences they’ve had.